Deepa Mann-Kler, CEO, Neon. Image: Conor McCabe Photography
answer to pressing issues such as chronic pain and poor mental health might be found in the latest VR technology.
Figures on the developing opioid crisis in the western world can be hard to fully grasp, with estimates putting the number of deaths due to addiction at 174 every day in the US alone.
On top of that, in Ireland, the number of prescriptions for the oxycodone drug OxyContin during a 10-year period between 2006 and 2016 saw a huge surge from 47,262 to 122,611.
But what alternatives are there and how accessible are they?
One such alternative was put forward by Deepa Mann-Kler, CEO of Neon, on stage at Inspirefest 2018.
Her company is developing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences to help those living with chronic pain and mental health issues to overcome their daily challenges.
One of those products is BreatheVR, an application using the Samsung Gear VR headset and the Oculus Rift to let the user see their breathing represented by leaves rising and falling in a calming meadow.
By repeating this process, the user can develop a pattern of diaphragmatic breathing, important for the treatment of chronic pain.
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Source: Silicon Republic